Jamaal Lascelles lauded Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend as an ‘amazing processional’ and someone who can ‘drag’ the whole team to do better, as he told the Getting Messi Podcast.
Now cutting onto his favoured left-foot at Selhurst Park, Townsend played at St James’ Park for a six-month period in 2016 before they were relegated to the Championship.
He had joined from Tottenham, and despite Newcastle’s relegation to the second-tier, he was a bright spark in a low-quality and morale-sapping season from the North East giants.
At the time, Lascelles wasn’t a first-team regular and he was still trying to get his feet warm following his move from Nottingham Forest, but he left an impression on Newcastle’s captain.
“Being in the changing room where players come and go over the years,” said Lascelles. “You kind of know who is a really good processional and turns up, has their breakfast, gets changed, trains, has their food and goes home.
“I mean some people might think there is nothing wrong with that, but me personally, I think you need to try and do more because there is always more you can do.
“You see the other players that are amazing professionals. One, for instance, was Andros Townsend when he came to Newcastle. Just having players around you that are like that. They kind of drag you in and if they drag in two, three, four players then all of a sudden you have even more lads wanting to get involved. Do the core. Do the stretching.
“Whereas if you are in a team where the lads want to get on their phones, have a little mess around, go home and that can be quite infectious as well. I think having a good dressing room is so important.”
Many would say that nothing has changed since Townsend left the club, even though Newcastle had a chance to clean up when they were in the Championship.
But that wouldn’t come as a surprise to many because Mike Ashley is still in charge, and even though he put his hand in his pocket this summer, it’s too late for a team that hasn’t progressed at all during his tenure.
Noises of a takeover have been looming over St James’ Park for years and until there is bulletproof confirmation that Ashley is no longer in charge, the Toon Army faithful will continue to just dream that their club falls into the hands of someone more ambitious and forward-thinking.
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